Improvement in harvesters



' ETE@ STATE-s i ,PATENT-WEE WILLIAM N. WHITELEY, SPRING-FIELD, OHIO.

IM PROVMENTlN HARVESTERS.`

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 77,691.' dated May 5, 1868.

description of the same, reference being had tol the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures l and 2 are perspective views of my machine from'front and rear. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. et is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is aside elevation f the same. Fig. Gis a plan'view, showing the gearing, platform removed. Fig. 7 is a sectional side elevation on line w x, Fig.6. Fig. 8 is a rear elevation, showing the cutting apparatus elevated from the ground. Figs. 9, 10, 11 are views of the guideway and rake and reel-shaft. Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation of the rear end and lug of the innerv shoe, showing the droplatch. Y

This invention relates to a combined reaping and mowing machine; and it will be fully understood by reference to the following' description and the accompanying drawings, in which the same letter indicates the same part in all of the figures.

A is the main frame, which I cast in one piece, chambered'in such form as to receive' the mechanism and protect it perfectly from accidentalblows, from dust and dirt, and without any waste room. j

lll'dounteolin proper boxes,B B, secured tothe upper edgel of the main frame A, is the main shaftO, upon the outer ends of v which are the bearing-wheels D.

A ratchet and pawl are placed within a hub7 E, and the one secured :to the shaft, while the otheris secured to said hub. This permits the wheel to revolve freely backward upon the shaft, as it is necessary that it should do,in backing the machine, or .when in turning nat thecorner of the field one wheel is nearlyor quite stationary while the other continues-to revolvo t Upon and rigidly secured to the main shaft C, and within the shell of themain frame, is

theinternahgear whe'el F, whose pinion is ,inl front; and mounted ob tho, ood. of .tho p ioioe-, shone, which runs 1,11 4boxes, .11. sommato-oso. upper. ode'o of thoman freine-afl Tho Piooo shaftis back-geared to the bevel-driverl, which runs loosely upon the main shaftAC, andy gears with the cutters crank-shaft J, which lies in a long shell-box, K, bolted to the main frame, as shown. It will be ,observed that by back-gearing in' this manner speed is gained withV the use of small wheels and with no more shafting or greater number of bearings than though the bevel-driver should be placed directly upon the pinion-shaft. l

In front of the gearing a compartment, L,` is formed in the shell of the main frame, to. serve as a receptacle for tools. The cover 'or plat- 4form M is also cast in metal and formed to meet the upper surface of the main frame all around, and thus inclosefall of the gearing of themachine. y

The 4drivers seat N is mounted upon the cover or platform M upon the spring-leg O, which may be moved forward or backward and secured at any point by means of a slotand screw-bolt inthe ordinary manner. l

Thecover M is hinged to the frontend lof the main frame, as shown at P. To gain access to the tool-box or to the machinery inclosed within the shell of the main frame'theplatform M is turned up on'its hinge, as showniu Fig. 7.

The pinion-ot the wheel F isnicked across, one of its ends to receive a clutch-pin which projects through the' pinion-shaft Gr, and by moving the said pinion slightly in the direction of the length of the shaftGr it may be relieved from the clutch-pin', and thus throw the working mechanism out of connection with the drivin g-wheels. The pinion may be thus moved out of or into connection by means of theclutch lever Q, which is located convenient to the foot of the driver.

rIhe drag-bar Ris secured tothe front end of the main frame, as shown at S, fromwhen'ce it bends downward and backward, passing under the main frame, and between the driving-wheel, and finally at its Vrear end it is divided and bent outward so as toreachA the shoe T of the cutting apparatus. Said shoe T is attached to thetwo parts-of the rear end of the drag-ber. by Sorrow-bolts, ,vhioo poss through said part-s andinto lugs caston y the lshoe forV that purpose.V

The' Shoo T iemoietoigood tliofnohorflat orol dista-ooo from thotoreo@Shottoythoooon1 ling-arm U,Iwhich is securedjat one of its nends tothedragbar'near the-shoe and at its othery en d around-a hubonjth'e crank-shaftbomsothat as the shoe may rise and rfall with the undulations of the ground the linear distance between said shoe and the axis of the crank-shaft will remain unchanged. The couplin g-arm U is rctained on the hub ofthe crank-shaft boX by means of a hookin g-ilan ge, which projects from the box and overlaps the endof the couplingarm, so that it cannot move laterally unless it be turned so far on its seat as to withdraw the end entirely from beneath said flange.,

The standardV is rigidly secured to the box` of the crank-shaft, or it may be cast in one 'y then the coupling-arm U is made, rigid at its joint upon the crank-shaft box, as said coupling-arm will then be attached at two` points instead of one.

When the adjusting-pin Xis withdrawn from its place in the head of the standard `the lever W may be used to elevate the cutting apparatus from the ground by pressing downward upon its outer end, which` projects beyond the crank-shaft for that purpose, andis so arranged that the vdriver may conveniently reach it while on his seat. This use of the lever W will only occur when `the machine is being used as a mower and when it becomes necessary vto raise the cutting apparatus to pass over some obstruction in the road. j

By means of the adj usting-pin X the inner end of the-cutting apparatus may be retained at the desired degree of elevation from the ground while reaping. Iralso arrange another brace, Y, which is" bolted to the coupling-arm at one end, while the other end passes freely through thehead of the stud Z, and may be` secured at any point therein by an adjustingpin which passes through the same. Either one of these devices will retain theshoe T at the desired distance from the ground. Y

The tongue a is pivoted to the side of the shell of the main frame bythe bolt b, and its V angle to the main frame may beadj usted` by the" adjusting-bolt c, which may be inserted through' the tongue into one of a series of holes,

dd, which are made in a flange, e, at the for-` ward end of the shell of themain frame.

Thecutting apparatus is constructed in the usual manner withopenguard-iingers and reciprocating cutters. p At its outer end is a metallic shoe with a vertical longitudinal flange, to the outer side of which the divder'is bolted. An adjustable caster-wheel is hinged toa plate, which is secured to said flange by boltspass` ingthro'ugh` said-plate and the divider.

The standard f is mounted upon the shoe T, and secured thereto by screw-bolts. It stands upon the shoe inclining backward slightly, and

its upper end is bent so as to be horizontal, and upon this portion the hollow post g is secured by suitable bolts. vThrough the hollow post g the reel and rake-shaft 71, passes, and at the top of said hollow post is bolted the rake and reel-guide t'. The reel-guide tis formed so as to conduct the reel and rake-blades over the platform and cause them to rise up into the air as they pass over themain frame and drivers seat. The rake and reel-arms are pivoted to a head, k, which is keyed fast to the top of the shaft It. lOn the side of each of the reel-arms l is a plate of metal, on, having apendent arm, n, and traveling roller o. The roller 0 travels over the guideframe i as the rake revolves, andas the guide-frame rises above the horizout-al in its configuration-the rake or reel-arm must rise correspondingly. The guard p is placed around that `part of the guide-frame which is traversed by the rollers o when the reel-blade is descending upon the platform, so asto compel the rake or reel to press down into the` grain upon the platform-. The guard 19 is a plate placed parallel withthe surface of the,` guide-frame, and connected thereto by a flange, leaving suflicient space between the surface of the guide and the surface of the guard to permit the passage of the rollers 0.

It is not desirable that each one ofthe reelbladesshould descend close enough to the platform t to "remover the grain thereon.

I therefore attach to the guard-frame on that side toward the platform. a switch, q, which, when closed, lies with l its point against the guideframe, so that the traveler is diverted and passes over the switch instead of along the guideway. The passing over the switch prevents the reel-arm from descending to the platform. The switch q is pivoted to the guide-frame by asmall stud, which passes down through la suitable hole in said frame, and has at its lower end a short arm, r, against which the lspring .s presses in. such adirection as to openV the switch when not restrained. i

At alittle distance in therear of the stud by which the switch gis pivoted to the guideframeis another stud, t, which projects downwardfrom said switch throughlia slot in the guide-frame, and when the switch is closed av and descends upon the platform to remove the grain therefrom the traveler will come in contact with the bent end 'w and push it back, so asjto close the switch and permit the latch a to engage with the stud n and hold the switch closed, and this will be done in time to divert the next 4succeeding traveler and cause it to pass over the switch and raise the p reel-blade from the platform.

The latch u has a cord, a', attached to it at a point near its free end, and this cord passes downward through a dead-eye or around a small pulley at b', and thence forward to a treadle, c', convenient to the drivers foot, so that when the machine is in operation the latch is closed and the reel-blades all pass at a distance above the platform until grain sufficient for a gavel has accumulated, when the driver presses the treadle and withdraws the latch u. The spring s instantly opens the switch and the next succeeding traveler passes behind it, and the reel-blade descends to the platform and sweeps the grain therefrom, closing the switch in its passage, to remain closed until the driver desires the rake to operate again.

The pulley 7c is secured to the main shaft either rigidly or with a ratchet-and-pawl co|1- nection, as may be preferred, `and by means ot' a chain or belt, m', which passes around itand connects it with the corresponding pulley, n', secured to the lower end of the shaft h, motion is communicated to the reel and rake.

A guide, q, may be employed tolead the belt properly up to the pulley n', as shown.

The joint at the heel of the cutter-bar is made by aforked pitman and conical or conoidal journals. The parts of the pitman are drawn together and adjusted by the screw-bolt g', with the jam-nut h placed between the parts, so that it may hold the main nut secure without any danger of working loose by con cussion, and also wit/hout danger of altering the tension of the joint.

The drop-latch t" is pivoted to the shoe in such a manner that its free end will drop behind the heel of the cutter-bar and will prevent the cutter-bar from running out of its ,l seat when the cutting apparatus is folded for transportation to and from the eld,and when said free end is raised up the cutter-bar may without trouble be withdrawn for purposes of repair, Src. This latchis perfectly automatic, and consists of only onepiece, without springs or other devices, which would render it more complicated or increase its liability to fail.

Having described my invention, whatIelaim as new is- 1. The shell main frame A, cast in a single piece, with a recess fitted to receive the gear-V ing, and another recess, L, to serve as a receptacle for tools, in connection with the cover or WILLIAM N. WHITELEY.

Witnesses i AMos WHITELEY, Gao. W. BENNS. 

